"It smells like old people," said Dianne Connery's son when he first walked into the Pottsboro Library. Sixties-style architecture, books that had not been checked out in years, and a dwindling budget greeted Dianne when she took over library operations in 2011. Relocating from the bustling Dallas Metroplex, Dianne had to get used to the pace in Pottsboro, Texas, a small town with a population of 2,160.
With her son's comment on her mind, Dianne went to work. By taking out truckloads of books, knocking down walls, and introducing up-to-date technology, the library came back to life. With more open space, free Wi-Fi, and more computers, the library feels more like an Internet café.
The Pottsboro Library is frequented by two very different segments of the population: low-income students and technologically curious retirees. One-on-one training with "TechPerts" has allowed retirees to improve their technological chops. They can impress their grandchildren by using Skype on their smartphones and digitizing family photo albums.
Students, 42 percent of whom are on the reduced lunch program, rely on the library for their computing needs. Staying open on Sundays and providing Microsoft Word and Excel trainings are just two of the services offered to teens. While facing hard times, a local high school student used the Excel software, available on the library's computers, to produce a food plan that fed two people for two weeks on 20 dollars.
As a self-described webinar junkie, Dianne found TechSoup in 2011. She requested Windows 8 and Adobe product donations. With Microsoft Office, library patrons can now use Excel to create budgets, and Word to create resumes. With Adobe InDesign, the library was able to start its own newsletter, entirely run by high school students looking to bolster their college applications. With access to new tools and technology, Dianne has been able to transform a relic of the past into a modern facility pushing its community into the future.
Editor's note: The remainder of this post, lightly edited, was taken from the previous version of the TechSoup Blog.
Digital Connector Story Challenge Winner
In 2014, TechSoup launched a contest for great digital inclusion stories. We called it the Digital Connector Story Challenge. The challenge was that organizations had to tell their story with very few words — under 1,000 characters to be exact. Here’s Dianne's winning submission in its entirety:
The Pottsboro Library has made bridging the digital divide for teens a priority. We've created a digital media lab. In a town of 1,800 people, this is HUGE! Purchasing Adobe Creative Suite 6 Design through TechSoup made it possible to offer training in Photoshop and Premier Pro. A local TV station employee was hired to work with the teens in a 6-week course where they created a promotional video for the library. Now the teens are branching out to other area nonprofits. They will be making a video for Hospice and a wildlife refuge. This was a win-win-win. The library has new promotional materials to use. The teens have new skills which can help them in work and education. Other area nonprofits will benefit also. A side benefit is that the TV station has taken note and run stories about our library programs. This would not have been an affordable program without the donation of the software. Thank you TechSoup!
More of the Story
Of course Dianne didn’t have room to talk about everything that her activist library is doing to enrich her town. TechSoup’s Kelly Pasek gave her a call to find out what else they have going around digital inclusion. They are truly bridging the digital divide for two very different types of library patrons: elderly people and teens. The library is much more than just a place to get books. It is now more of a community center that offers training and facilitates events.
- The library has started a teen newspaper that is printed and distributed in Pottsboro. They recruited a local volunteer to teach the kids Adobe InDesign to lay out the publication. The teens also produce promotional materials for the library and nonprofits in the area. The newspaper alone is increasing attendance at the library.
- Both children and older patrons avidly use the library’s public access computers with current Microsoft applications. One grandparent got the help they needed to fill out the necessary forms online to get custody of their grandchild. Several people use the public access computers to fill out job applications.
- The library has a scanner so the elders can bring in old family photos and digitize them.
- The library also offers training in professional-grade software and devices that is not available anywhere else locally. The library hosts teen digital media classes including classes on Adobe Premier Pro video editing, Photoshop, and other Adobe applications that the library got through TechSoup. The teens also have access to GoPro and Nikon cameras provided by a Best Buy grant that Dianne applied for and got.
The library staff has been clearing out unused bookshelf space to create a colorful Internet café type environment — complete with espresso machine. They are seeking grants to create more training space.
Here’s how Dianne sums it up:
I'm really proud of all our work but am especially excited about our teen digital media programs. In a rural town, teens acquiring technology skills can change lives. We are happy to be able to provide professional instructors to work with the teens. This past Friday night we were selected by The Pottsboro Chamber of Commerce as Nonprofit Of The Year. The town is really energized by the changes they see. If only I had more hours in the day.
